Improvement in hair-triggers



F- SCHENCK.

Fire Arm.

Patented Aug. 24, 1869.

m7" ess es.-

oLithOgnphur, Washington. 0. c.

UNITED ST TES F. SOHENOK, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAIR-TRIGGERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 94,036, dated August 24, 1869.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, F. SCHENGK, of San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Teiias, have invented a new and useful Improvement in FireArms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others Skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to the arrangement of a hair-trigger so complete in itself that the application of the same to one of those fire-arms that have a guard and a trigger may be effected without the slightest alteration of the interior mechanism of the gun-lock, not even necessitating the application of a fly in the hammer to prevent the catching of the trigger in the rest-notch of the hammer. It may be adjusted to any one of the above-named firearms without the assistance of a gunsmith,re quiring for this purpose only a screw-driver.

Figures 1 and 2 are side views,partly in section, of my improved hair-trigger attached to a Oolts navy-pistol guard, showing the parts in different positions. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional side view of the same, showing the spring that operates the hair-trigger. Fig. 4 is a view of the guard, as seen from below. Fig. 5 is a detail enlarged side view of the pin to which the hair-spring is fastened.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the main trigger. To its front face is riveted or otherwise fastened a flat spring, a, which extends somewhatbeyond the lower point of the trigger, for the purpose of obtaining a yielding point of contact for the v action of the hair-trigger mechanism.

The hair-trigger mechanism is composed of two parts, the hair-trigger B and the hair-trigger catch 0. The hair-trigger B is by a pin, b, pivoted to the hair-trigger catch 0.

A spring, 0, interposed between the guard and the hair-trigger, serves to keep the hairtrigger in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2-that is to say, throws it forward of the guard D.

F is a metal plate,- provided with a cavity which contains a spiral spring, G, like the barrel-wheel of a watch, as shown in Fig; 3. One end of the spring G is secured to the inner circumference of the case in the plate F, while the other end is caught in the catch-hook dot the pivot e, which secures the plate J to the guard. The spring-cavity is closed by a circular plate,f, which has a central aperture to admit the pin 6 and its book d, to allow the catch-hook to be introduced when the case is closed by the said plate f.

The, back edge of the plate F is made concentric with the are 9, the operation of which will be described hereinafter. The front end of the plate F is made in form of an arm, h, which serves as a handle to put the mechanism in working position. The plate F, containing the spring, is introduced in a mortise of the guard D, under the main trigger A, as in Fig. 1, and is pivoted to said guard by the pin 0, which has a square portion, 6, fitting into the guard, to prevent the pin from turning. Thus as the arm h is swung down and back the spring G will be wound up on the fixed pin 0. The pivot is or may also be secured in the guard by a screw,j, to prevent it from turning and for containing the requisite tension on the spring. The plate F, when in the position represented in Fig. 1, will swing around the pivot 6 into the position of Fig. 2, by reason of the action of the spiral spring contained in it.

The joint B O is secured in the front part of the guard by a pin or screw, K, which servesas a pivot, and which passes through the trigger B, as shown; and the hair-trigger catch 0 has its back end supported by a pin, 1, thatis fitted through the lower part of the guard.

The main trigger A, with the spring a, is secured in its original place andis not changed, nor any other part of the lock.

To set the hair-trigger the arm h is swung back into the position shown inFig.1 untilthe end or point a of the arcgis caught under the back point of the hair-trigger catch 0, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. A screw, m,serves to regulate this catching of the plate F. The are 9 0n the circumference of the spring-case has now by the yielding elasticity of thespring a been allowed to pass entirely to the front side of the main trigger A, where it is retained by the catching of the point a under the catch 0. A slight touch of the hair-trigger B will cause the catch 0 to be drawn forward so as to release the point a of the arc g of the springcase from its hold under the catch C,'causing the spring-case F instantly to resume the position repreSented'in FigLZ. The point a of the arc g,-having in settingthe hair-trigger been allowed to pass under the main trigger, is brought now in violent contact with the lower end of the spring a, attached to the main trigger, which is jerked out of its hold in the cock-notch of thehammer Land retained in the backward position until the entire length of the are 9 has passed under the point of the spring a, thereby allowing sufficient time for the restnotch of the hammer to pass the point of the mainttrigger without catching on the same. The gun or pistol is thus fired without.

.the use of a fly in the hammer. The main trigger A can be worked independent of the hair-trigger, if desired, by simplyleaving the hair-trigger in the position of Fig. 2.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The application to the main trigger A of the spring a for the purpose of obtaining'a] 4. The combination, with the main trigger A, of the spring a, lever F, hair-trigger B, and catch 0, all arranged and operating substantially as'herein shown and described.

5. The spring 0, when arranged on the hairtrigger and guard substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

F. SGHENCK.

' Witnesses:

J. DENTZ, L. SoHUL'rz. 

